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Show 53 Leave me a note if you like. Keep in mind my age (the respect my years merit), my obvious advantage in being your teacher, and the fact that participation is worth POINTS! I trust you'll arrive at some compromise which will make us both happy. Hopefully, K. Simpson Parker grinned all the way through a second reading of the note. Then he stood, extracted a pencil from his- pocket, and sat down to compose an answer. The clock pushed on toward five, but he didn't care now. Dear Mrs. Simpson: Ted Wilson, the climber who grew up to be mayor of Salt Lake City, once said: "It takes a lot of integrity to be a rock climber. It takes a lot less to be a politician." I work hard learning to climb. I have no aptitude at all for being a politician. So here I am, full of integrity, and you ask me to compromise! To begin with, "half-way" is not part of a climber's vocabulary. The Art of Summitry requires a devotion to absolutes. Compromising, therefore, is out of the question. However, I'm not immune to persuasion. Your age isn't that impressive, Mrs. Simpson, nor is your clout, though I've long been conditioned to be a teacher-pleaser. No, the argument that set my broom in action was the one about points. I do understand about points and 25 is quite a bunch when it comes down to totals. I wouldn't regard it a compromise if you use my poem on the back of the program. How about that? (You did say we'd have a program, didn't you?) Then I can concentrate on my job as sound engineer and you'll be happy at the same time. I remain silently, respectfully yours, Parker |
